Wheat- steam ing apparatus



{No Model.)

G. LITTLEPIELD. WHEAT STBAMING APPARATUS.

No. 401,185. :Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

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GEORGE LITTLEFIELD, OF BURLINGTON, \VISCONSIN.

WHEAT-STEAMING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,185, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed March 29, 1888. erial No. 268,892. (No model.)

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LITTLEFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheat-Steaming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin g drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a wheat-steaming apparatus of such construction that the wheat which has been passed through it will be better prepared for the grinding operation than it is when passed through the wheatsteamers heretofore in use, my apparatus being comparatively simple in construction and convenient and economical in use.

To this end my invention consists in certain new constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts, as indicated by the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking up; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the boiler at rightangles to the sectional View thereof in Fig. l.

A denotes a cylindrical receptacle, made preferably of metal, four plates or thicknesses of which divide the body of said receptacle into the outer annular steam-chamber, a, the inner annular steam-chamber, b, and the annular wheatcharnber c, between said steamchambers. In the top or upper part of the receptacle A is the inclined or conical wheatspreader d, which is merely a conical upward continuation of the outer wall of the inner stea-m-chamber, b, the inner wall of said cham her having also a conical upward continuation to form a steam-space, 1;,below the conical wheat'spreader d, to heat the latter.

Bis the fire-box or combustionchamber, and C is the boiler, the bottom of the latter being preferably corrugated, or consisting of a series of pyramidal sections, e, to form a large heating-surface and to adapt the boiler to be heated by flame-jets in the fire-box. The boiler communicates by the passage f with the outer steam-chamber, a, and the latter communicates by the steam-openings g, through the base of the wheat-chamber, with the inner steam-chamber, b.

The outer steam-chamber, a, communicates, through the openings 72. and h, (the latter having the steam-controlling valve h with the steam-spray pipe or chamber F, having spray holes or openings f, leading into the wheatchamber 0. The said outer steam-chamber also communicates, through the opening i, (controlled by the valve '2 with the chamber 7?, and the opening '6 with the water-tank D, the said tank having an outlet-opening, 7b, which is controlled by the valve 7c, the said outlet-opening communicating, through the chamber or and opening n, with the boiler. By opening the valve 2 steam is admitted to the water-tank to heat the water therein prior to its passage to the boiler. The water-tank is filled through the supply-pipe D.

The cylinder A is (when in use) placed above the grinding'mill (not shown) and in any suitable relation thereto. The wheat to be steamed enters at the feed-pipe E, and as it passes through the hot-air chamber c andin contact with the heated conical spreader 01 it becomes somewhat warmed before it is sub jected to the action of the steam from the spray pipe or chamber F. After passing the steam'spray pipe or chamber the wheat continues downward through the wheat-chamber c, in which it is subjected to a strong heat from the heated steam-chambers on both sides of the said wheat-chamber. This heat dries the excess of moisture from the outside of the kernels and drives enough moisture into and through the husks of the kernels to prevent the bran formed in grinding from being so finely broken as to form dust, which would dis color the fiour,while at the same time the wheat kernels or berries are rendered in proper condition for perfect and uniform grinding, the small quantity of moisture driven into the flour-cells of the kernels by the heat to which the wheat is exposed in passing through the 5 highly-heated wheat-chamber fitting the wheat more perfectly for the grinding operation than is done by the wheat-steaming devices heretofore in use.

As the wheat emerges from the wheat-cham- IOO her 0, it passes through the cold-air chamber or funnel G to the discharge-pipe H, and thence to the grinding-rollers. To regulate the egress of the Wheat from the dischargepipe, I prefer to provide the latter With an adjustable conical valve, I.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A Wheat-steaming apparatus provided With Wheat and steam chambers, combined with a boiler and a Water-tank, the latter being in communication With one of said steamchambers to enable the Water therein to be heated prior to being supplied to the said boiler, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the receptacle A, having the steam-chambers a and b, the interposed Wheat-chamber c, and the steam pipe or chamber F, of the boiler O, the water-tank D, communicating with said boiler and with one of said steam-chambers, and the valve i, for controlling admission of steam to said Watertank, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE LITTLEFIELD.

Witnesses:

DANIEL FOLEY, F. J. AYERS. 

